Colombia Cancels Entrance Cards for 300 Venezuelan Maduro Supporters, Reports Reuters

BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombia’s migration office announced on Friday that it has revoked over 300 daily entrance passes for Venezuelan politicians and their families who back President Nicolas Maduro.

Colombia has been a primary destination for Venezuelans escaping severe malnutrition and political instability, with approximately 800,000 crossing the border to settle in the country.

Christian Kruger, the head of the migration agency, expressed his concerns, stating, "It doesn’t make sense that while they migrate out of hunger and necessity, supporters of the dictatorship enjoy these benefits and enter our country with this card to shop, among other things."

On Thursday, trucks transporting humanitarian aid for Venezuela reached the Colombian border city of Cucuta, but Maduro refused to allow the aid to enter, blocking the Tienditas bridge amid a deepening political crisis.

The arrival of this aid convoy, containing supplies from the United States, has intensified pressure on Maduro, especially after the U.S. and several countries from Latin America and Europe recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the legitimate interim leader of Venezuela.

Maduro has dismissed the aid as a "political show" and has vowed to maintain his position in power.

Kruger highlighted that those prohibited from using their entry cards include notable figures such as former Tachira Governor Vielma Mora, Zulia Governor Erika Farias, and Caracas Mayor Sandra Oblitas.

Estimates regarding the number of Venezuelans who have fled their homeland during the presidencies of Hugo Chavez and his successor Maduro vary significantly, with some opponents and researchers suggesting that the figure could be as high as 4 million.